*PhD opportunity at Monash University, Australia*
*/Developing decision triggers for threatened species management./*
We are offering a PhD scholarship to work with a team of researchers led
by Dr Carly Cook at Monash University (School of Biological Sciences) in
Australia, in conjunction with researchers at The Department of
Conservation in New Zealand, Oxford University and the University of
Melbourne. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to undertake
an innovative project investigating the development of decision
triggers, to guide decisions about when to intervene in the management
of threatened species. The successful applicant will need to have
research interests in ecology and conservation, along with strong
quantitative skills, and be able to travel to New Zealand to undertake
data collection.
*The project:*
Conservation managers face complex decisions about if, when and how to
intervene in managed systems. To support these decisions, approaches are
needed that utilise the best available evidence to guide actions when a
system is moving into an undesirable state. Assigning some form of
critical threshold that if crossed would trigger action (a decision
trigger) is growing in favour as a means to link monitoring data to
management action, as part of evidence-based management. This project
will focus on the development of decision triggers for the management of
threatened species in New Zealand, developing and testing methods to set
robust decision triggers that utilise rigorous biological monitoring
data, and when monitoring data are not readily available, using
participatory modelling approaches. The candidate will work closely with
researchers and managers from the New Zealand Department of
Conservation, including travelling to New Zealand to develop specific
case studies.
*The supervisors:*
Dr Carly Cook is a conservation biologist interested in evidence-based
conservation and the development of decision support tools for
conservation management. Her research group is interested in a range of
topics related to integrating science into conservation management. To
find out more please visit: www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com
<http://www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com/>
Dr Richard Maloney is a lead scientist at the Department of Conservation
in New Zealand. He has extensive experience in ecological and
conservation research, and in the development of systems to support
evidence-based decision making.
Dr Prue Addison is a senior post-doctoral research fellow at Oxford
University, whose research focused on knowledge exchange to facilitate
the transfer of biodiversity research to end users. She also has
experience in both statistical and participatory modelling techniques.
Dr Kelly Hunt de Bie is a post-doctoral research fellow at the
University of Melbourne and at Parks Victoria. She has extensive
experience in park management, structured decision making to support
management decisions, and participatory modelling.
*Administrative details*
The starting date for this project can be any time during 2017 (or as
negotiated).
_Scholarship details_:
The PhD stipend is fully-funded for a period of 3.5 years and is open to
both Australian/NZ domestic and international students. The stipends
include all course fees plus approximately $26,682 AUD per annum
tax-free (~$1,026 per fortnight). Domestic students will be encouraged
to apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award. International students
will be encouraged to apply for an International Postgraduate Research
Scholarship.
_Monash and the School of Biological Sciences_:
Monash is a member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of top Australian
universities recognized for their excellence in teaching and research.
The School of Biological Sciences is a dynamic unit with strengths in
both ecology and genetics and the nexus between these disciplines
(www.monash.edu/science/schools/biological-sciences/postgrad
<http://www.monash.edu/science/schools/biological-sciences/postgrad>).
The University is located in Melbourne, one of the most liveable cities
in the world and a cultural and recreational hub.
_Application process_:
Interested candidates should send their CV and academic transcript,
along with a cover letter outlining their research interests and
motivation to undertake this project to carly.c...@monash.edu
<mailto:carly.c...@monash.edu>. Applicants must possess a Bachelor's or
equivalent degree with first-class Honours, Master of Science or MPhil
and meet minimum English requirements. The applicant must be able to
demonstrate that their degree included a research component equivalent
to 6 months of full time research experience. Short-listed candidates
will be asked for further information and will be interviewed. Your
initial applications need to be received before *Monday 8th May 2017*.
--
*Dr Carly Cook*
Lecturer in Ecology
School of Biological Sciences
Monash University
Ph: +61 3 9905 5642
www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com
<http://www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com>
